The Impact of Effective Diabetes Management on Reducing Burden in Elderly Patients: A Case-Control Study

Eslam Abdelhamid Mohamed, Specialist of Internal Medicine. Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt.
Mohamed A. Helaly, Professor of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine - Mansoura University, Egypt
Ahmed Albehairy, Associate Professor of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine - Mansoura University, Egypt.Follow

Corresponding Author

Ahmed Albehairy (dr_behiry@mans.edu.eg)

Subject Area

Internal Medicine

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background and aim: Elderly individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more prone to experiencing common geriatric syndromes, which include impaired cognition, dementia, frailty, falls, fractures, urinary incontinence, and disability. These can significantly impair their quality of life (QoL) and could conflict with anti-diabetic medication. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the impact of controlling diabetes on the overall burden of diabetes in the elderly. Materials and Methods: 100 elderly patients over sixty-five with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were selected from Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital (MSMH) between April 2022 and February 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: fifty diabetic subjects with HbA1c levels higher than 8.5% (cases) and fifty with HbA1c levels lower than 8.5% (controls). All participants underwent a comprehensive history-taking and general examination. The Elderly Diabetes Burden Scale (EDBS) assesses burden through six subscales: symptoms, social, dietary restrictions (DR), worries regarding DM, treatment dissatisfaction, and burden from antidiabetic therapy. Scores range from 19 to 92, with higher scores indicating a higher burden. Results: The study found insignificant differences between both groups regarding age, gender, diastolic and systolic blood pressure (BP), creatinine, urine albumin, and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Cases had significantly higher scores in symptom burden, social burden, dietary restrictions, anxiety about diabetes, and the overall Enhanced Diabetes Burden Scale (EDBS). The ROC analysis identified a total EDBS score of 38.0 as the optimal cutoff for detecting diabetes treatment burden, showing a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 98%, and an accuracy of 99%. Conclusion: The EDBS is a straightforward and reliable measure of diabetes-specific QoL in elderly individuals with DM. An EDBS score of 38.0 demonstrates a sensitivity of 98.0% and a specificity of 100.0% in detecting the burden of DM treatment.

Recommended Citation

Mohamed, Eslam Abdelhamid; Helaly, Mohamed A.; and Albehairy, Ahmed (2025) "The Impact of Effective Diabetes Management on Reducing Burden in Elderly Patients: A Case-Control Study," Mansoura Medical Journal: Vol. 54 : Iss. 4 , Article 6.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.58775/2735-3990.1470